Cost of living

All amounts are in US dollars:

• A subway ride, one-way, into the city: $3.00
• A soda at a cafe: $4.00
• A croissant at the local bakery: $1.18
• Rice and Spinach with potatoes at the local Indian takeway: $10
• Lentil burger at Gourmet Burger Kitchen: $11.70 (fries add $5.70)
• Lunch at a Mexican restaurant in Covent Garden (no drink): $24
• The cost to call a local UK number: $0.40/minute
• The cost to call a US number: $0.30/minute (go figure)
• A movie ticket: $18
• 2 tickets to the Moody Blues at Royal Albert Hall: $160
• 4 tennis balls: $5.98
• An hour on the tennis court: $12.80
• A pair of Levi's jeans at a small clothing shop: $140
• A pair of jeans at Gap: $100
• A pair of generic jeans at Primark: $16
• A load of laundry: $12
• Average rent on a 1-bedroom flat: $3,000-$3,500/month, plus council tax and utilities
• Average down payment on a 1-bedroom flat: $8,000

On the bright side, I've lost a stone* over the past 4 weeks. Spending that $98 on a one-month (off peak) gym membership was much smarter than buying food.

*1 stone=14 pounds